Restaurant websites have one of the highest bounce rates of any industry — because most get the basics wrong. Visitors want three things: your menu, your hours, and how to get there. Everything else is secondary.
Menu Display
The most viewed page. Make it work perfectly:
- Full menu with prices (not a PDF download)
- HTML text that is searchable and readable on mobile
- Organized by category with clear section headers
- Dietary tags (vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, nut-free)
- Photos of signature dishes (not every dish — top 10 to 15 items)
- Easy to update when menu changes
What Not to Do
- PDF-only menus (unreadable on mobile, not indexable by search engines)
- Menus inside image files (same problems as PDFs)
- Outdated menus with items or prices that have changed
- Requiring a click to reveal prices
Online Reservations
- Integrated booking widget visible on the homepage
- Date, time, and party size selection
- Special request field (birthday, anniversary, dietary needs, high chair)
- Confirmation email and SMS
- Easy modification and cancellation
- Integration with your table management system (OpenTable, Resy, or custom)
For smaller restaurants, a simple form that sends an email may be sufficient. The important thing is that it works on mobile and sends a confirmation.
Online Ordering
If you offer takeout or delivery:
- Full menu with ordering capability
- Item customization (size, modifications, add-ons)
- Order scheduling (order now for later pickup)
- Real-time order status
- Delivery area map or zone information
- Pickup time estimates
- Integration with kitchen display or POS system
Consider whether building your own ordering system (keeping 100 percent of revenue) makes more sense than relying solely on third-party platforms (which take 15 to 30 percent per order).
Hours and Location
The information people search for most:
- Business hours for every day of the week (including holidays)
- Address with embedded Google Map
- Parking information
- Public transit access
- Phone number (click-to-call on mobile)
- Special hours (happy hour, brunch, late night)
Display this information on every page, not just the contact page. The footer is a good default location.
Photography
Food photography has the highest impact on restaurant website conversions:
- Professional photos of your best dishes
- Interior ambience shots (lighting, decor, table settings)
- Exterior photo (so people recognize the building)
- Staff and kitchen photos (builds connection)
Bad food photography is worse than no food photography. If you cannot afford a professional photographer, use well-lit smartphone photos with minimal editing over poor stock photos.
Events and Private Dining
If applicable:
- Private dining room photos and capacity
- Event inquiry form
- Prix fixe or special event menus
- Calendar of upcoming events (live music, wine dinners, seasonal specials)
- Capacity and layout options for private events
Gift Cards
A revenue stream many restaurants miss online:
- Online gift card purchase and delivery
- Physical gift card ordering with shipping
- eGift cards delivered by email or text
- Easy balance checking
- Corporate or bulk gift card options
Social Proof and Reviews
- Google review rating displayed prominently
- Instagram feed integration showing recent food photos
- Press mentions and awards
- Customer quote highlights
Mobile Experience Priority
Restaurant searches are overwhelmingly mobile:
- Menu loads instantly without zooming
- Phone number tappable on every page
- Directions launch maps app
- Reservation widget works perfectly on touch
- Online ordering optimized for thumb navigation
Local SEO
- Restaurant name, address, and phone on every page
- Cuisine type and neighborhood in content
- Schema markup for restaurant (hours, cuisine, price range, menu)
- Google Business Profile fully optimized with menu, photos, and current hours
- Consistent NAP across all online directories
The best restaurant websites are simple, fast, and put menu, hours, and reservation ahead of everything else. Resist the temptation to build an elaborate experience. Give customers what they came for.
Ready to build a restaurant website that fills tables? Contact us to discuss your project.